Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Love/Valentine's Day

I've used Photoshop for years for only the most utilitarian and simple functions and am now finally trying a few experiments. Here I've combined an abstract calligraphic piece using the word love with a photograph from my 2006 Solstice card.

My love of ink and paper was reawakened last year with the outdoor installation, Translations I. Before the installation, I tested the durability of the paper outside in the elements. One of my thoughts was to waterproof it. I used tung oil which I had read is used to waterproof paper umbrellas in Japan. It made the paper somewhat translucent and darkened it. I loved the way it looked but not for the installation. I had had a bamboo oil paper from Paper Source in my drawer for several years. I began to play with making accordion structures and combining the two.

This is now the beginning of a new series, Sumi Suite. When my son was helping me with the card photograph in the studio, he suggested that I take the books to different outdoor locations and photograph them and that is now in the works.

For those who are interested in what I did in Photoshop:Layer 2: Blank, filled with paint bucket with 15% gray, set at MultiplyLayer 0: Book image, set at ScreenLayer 1: Love calligraphy, set at Normal